My Ski Boot Fitting Experience

[Greg]

So yesterday I met with Jeff Bokum of Profile Orthotic Center to get fitted in a new pair of boots as well as a complete boot fitting, including custom orthotics, fore/aft alignment, canting and overall liner fitting. I'd like to describe the process and my experience a bit. Jeff - feel free to jump in here if I miss anything or provide misinformation.

First of all, Jeff is an extremely nice guy and very personable. I feel this is an important aspect of a good boot fitter. After all you're going to trust the guy to put you in boots that will not only provide increased performance, but also keep you safe. Plus the guy's gonna be touching your feet and stuff so feeling comfortable is important. Jeff's personality puts you right at ease.

The first step was shell sizing. I have a 11.5/12 foot and our first boot choice was a Mondo size 29.0. Based on Mondo charts, this should fit a size 11 street shoe. I figured we were going down a half to a a whole street shoe size so it should suffice. After, shell sizing, it become apparent that I really should be in a 28.0 Mondo size. Realize that the street shoe equivalent for a 28.0 is a US 10. No wonder you always hear that most skiers are in boots that are two large for them. When entering the boot, my toes really jammed towards the front of the boot. I wouldn't call it painful, but rather uncomfortable. Once the boot is buckled down and your heel slides back into the "pocket" of the boot however, the toes gain a bit more room. Still snug up front, but certainly not painful or uncomfortable. Wearing the boots for a period of time help your feet to find their place inside as well.

Jeff had me wear both the 29.0 and 28.0 for a period of time and we opted for the size 28.0 Technicas as I described to Jeff that the Technica seems to stabalize my heel better. According to Jeff, locking down the heel is an important first step. I learned though this experience that each incremental step of the boot fitting process relies on successful completion of the step beforehand. Boot selection was done and after having them on for a few minutes they actually felt pretty good.

The next step was a custom orthotic. Jeff opts for the insta-print system. Jeff explained that the insta-print system results in a footbed created in a semi-weighted neutral position. With the vacuum type weightless footbed systems, the boot fitter must be proficient enough to hold the foot in the correct neutral position. With the insta-print, you're sitting with you feet flat in the mold, so creating a footbed that is not neutral isn't likely to happen. The result was an orthotic that fully cradled my heel and provided a custom mold of entire foot. Jeff also suggested a 1/4" heel lift for me as my flexibility when raising my forefoot while keeping my heel down while sitting was less than desirable. He explained that this is not a long-term solution and that I should make a conscious effort at stretching. Using a heel lift indefinitely results in a shortened achilles tendon which is obviously not a good thing. We will re-evaluate my flexibility next year.

Next we were on to fore/aft balancing which essentially is acheving the desired "stacked" position for skiing. That is, your shoulders, knees, and toes should all be roughly in vertical aligment. Jeff used a plumb bob to evaluate this and used various materials added to the boot to put me in the correct position. Once done, I really felt more balanced. Previously, I had to work to stay forward and in the correct position in my ill-fitting boots. Now, the boot just puts me there.

After spending some time on the orthotics, Jeff asked about how they were feeling. He indicated I might experience some pressure under my arch as it's now being correctly supported which I'm not used to. We decided to remove some material from the orthotic to soften the arch support a bit. Two-way communication is extremely important for a good boot fitting. Jeff knew exactly what questions to ask and looked to me to relay exactly what I was feeling so he could correct it.

The next step was canting. The goal here is to provide a flat (or somewhat "knock-kneed") stance. I was a bit "bow-legged" so some boot planing needed to be done. Most boots allow for a few degrees of canting at the cuff, but I needed more adjustment than that. Jeff explained that boot manufacturers limit this "built-in" canting range as it eliminates the risk of skiers improperly canting their own boots which could lead to injury. After adjusting the boots as much as possible, Jeff still had to plane 1-2 degrees of material off the bottom of both boots using a boot planer. Once complete, I really noticed the difference in how the boots felt more flat-footed. I've always had a problem of catching my outside edge and the reason was my old stock boots were never properly canted. During the canting process, I began to develop a hot spot which Jeff was able to fix my removing and grinding some of the boot and liner material. After the planing, it's necessary to put back some of the materal removed by adding flat plates to the bottom of the boots.

At this point, my boot fitting was done and it was time to try them out. By the time I got to the mountain to meet thetrailboss, I only had 90 minutes left to ski. However, I did notice several improvements:

1. I felt much more connected with the boots and subsequently the skis. My heels and ankles were stabilized much better than they were in my former ill-fitting boots. No more toe grabbing either now that I'm in the correct size - again a 28.0 Mondo (street size 10) for a 11.5/12 street shoe.
2. The fore/aft alignment has made a big difference. Again, I used to fight to stay forward and in the correct "stacked" position. Now, the boot just puts me there. #1 and #2 work closely together, i.e. in my old boots (too large and wide), I would pop forward a bit out of the heel pocket, which sent me in the back seat.
3. I never expected to be able to actually feel the difference made by canting the boots by planing a couple of degrees of material. I'm definitely on a much flatter ski.

These position improvements were so drastic that skiing was actually a bit tricky at first. I did start to feel a bit more comfortable as the day went on, but I wasn't able to stay out long enough to get fully used to it. I'm heading out Sunday and plan to really take note of my new position and fit. I will report back as to how I progress.

All in all a very positive experience. I would urge folks that have never gotten a true boot fitting to see someone like Jeff. Just getting shell sized and put on a custom footbed is not enough and most skiers haven't even gone that far. If you'd like to see Jeff, you need to make an apointment. Here is his contact info:

Jeff Bokum, C-Ped
Profile Orthotic Center
603-491-4917
Skiiboot@aol.com

Jeff is offering 10% off his boot fitting services to AlpineZone members. Click HERE to access the printable coupon. If anyone goes to see Jeff, please report back in this thread with your experience.

Thanks Jeff!

[bvibert]

Thats great, thanks for the detailed report Greg. I really need to get my boots properly fitted. Now you've got me worried that my boots are too big...

[riverc0il]

nice write up. a few comments from my own expeerience and based on you comments:

streching is highly under rated when it comes to proper boot fit on a daily basis, after you have left the shop. makes a HUGE difference between pain and comfort on a daily basis and improves perfotrmance too. most pepole do not connect stretching the entire body with foot comfort, but it works. i am always shocked at how little pepole stretch before skiing.

i have a 30.5 mondo which is about two street sizes smaller. shell fit is definitely important as the .5 mondo is a difference in the liner only, not the shell itself. run away from any boot fitter that does not shell fit first.

in my case, the customs made no canting required since it lined up everything okay. good to have this looked at by someone qualified.

welcome to the world of comfortable boots that perform at a higher level due to a good fit!

[Charlie Schuessler]

Originally Posted by Greg

… a custom orthotic… some pressure under my arch as it's now being correctly supported… canting…by the time I got to the mountain…I did notice several improvements…I felt much more connected with the boots and subsequently the skis…my heels and ankles were stabilized…I never expected to be able to actually feel the difference made by canting the boots by planing a couple of degrees…position improvements were so drastic that skiing was actually a bit tricky at first…

Welcome the dark side Greg…

After a few days of working out the kinks, I trust you’ll find your skiing movements will become subtle adjustments and not lumbering reactions…

Good Luck, enjoy and see you on the slopes!

[Greg]

Originally Posted by Charlie Schuessler

Welcome the dark side Greg…

After a few days of working out the kinks, I trust you’ll find your skiing movements will become subtle adjustments and not lumbering reactions…

Good Luck, enjoy and see you on the slopes!

I neglected to throw out a big thank you to Charlie. Charlie - you've been recommending Jeff for years and I finally got to see him. You were spot on with your recommendation!

[Greg]

I posted some pics of Jeff's lab and equipment HERE.

[Skiiboot]

Greg, I was wondering how the skiing went.

[Greg]

Originally Posted by Skiiboot

Greg, I was wondering how the skiing went.

Again, the new poosition was a little tricky to get used to, but I could definitely feel the new stance. I'll provide more feedback after tomorrow. I can totally see Charlie's comment that "skiing movements will become subtle adjustments and not lumbering reactions"...

[skidmarks]

Keep in mind that the fore aft balancing will change with different binding systems too.

[NYDrew]

How much will jeff charge just to fix one spot in my boot. My fitter does a great job, but he just cant hit that one spot.

(spot is above the three outside toes on my left foot, on the knuckle..something is rubbing, doesnt affect my skiing, but hurts like hell the next day)